Book Review with Featured Author: Run Dog Run by Kathleen Kaska

Run Dog Run by Kathleen Kaska

 

 

Publisher & Release: Wild Rose Press, February 28, 2022

Setting:  Texas

Genre: Mystery Romance

Length: 272 Pages

Heat Level: 1 Sweetheart

Rating: 4.5 Gold Crowns

Book Description: 

After five years in Africa, researching the decline of elephant populations, Kate Caraway’s project comes to a screeching halt when she shoots a poacher and is forced to leave the country.
Kate and her husband, Jack Ryder, flee to a friend’s ranch in Texas to recuperate. But before Kate has a chance to unpack, her friend’s daughter pleads for Kate’s assistance. The young woman has become entangled in the ugly world of greyhound abuse and believes Kates is the only one with the experience and tenacity to expose the crime and find out who is responsible. On the case for only a few hours, Kate discovers a body, complicating the investigation by adding murder to the puzzle. Now she’s in a race against time to find the killer before she becomes the next victim.

 

Buy Links:

 

Amazon: https://smile.amazon.com/Kate-Caraway-Animal-Rights-Mystery-Book-ebook/dp/B09NJWJQ3X

Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/run-dog-run-kathleen-kaska/1125918071

KOBO: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/run-dog-run-1

Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Kathleen_Kaska_Run_Dog_Run?id=uExgEAAAQBAJ

 

 

Add to Goodreads & BookBub:

 

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34579089-run-dog-run

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/books/run-dog-run-by-kathleen-kaska

 

Vikki’s Musings

 

Thanks go to the publisher and Net-Galley for the complimentary digital copy of Run Dog Run by Kathleen Kaska. I voluntarily agreed to read and review and leave an unbiased review. My opinions are my own, and nothing has influenced my rating.

 

Run Dog Run is a fast-paced novel with compelling characters and a suspenseful plot. Ms. Kaska hold her secrets tightly, keeping me guessing and wondering who the villain is of this tale. The pacing pulled me into the story from the start and held me captivated until the end. 

 

The primary protagonist is Kate Caraway. She’s recently returned to Texas after spending five years in Africa with her husband, Jack Ryder. She quickly becomes involved when her niece asked for her help in fighting for animal rights. A nearby rancher and senatorial candidate may be abusing his racing greyhounds.  Kate is fierce when it comes to fighting for defenseless animals. I admire her determination to find the truth.

 

The mystery is enthralling. Ms. Kaska threw me off the track several times, just when I thought I knew who was behind the murder and mayhem. She builds the tension and suspense to a crescendo until the villain is revealed. The dark moment is truly dark indeed!

 

If you enjoy a mystery with intriguing characters and an action-packed tale, then you will love Run Dog Run as much as I did. I look forward to reading the next book in this amazing series. Happy reading!

 

Author Bio:

 

Kathleen Kaska is the author of The Sherlock Holmes Quiz Book, which has been updated and reissued by Rowman & Littlefield Publishing Group and released on November 1, 2020. She is the founder of The Dogs in the Nighttime, the Sherlock Holmes Society of Anacortes, Washington, a scion of The Baker Street Irregulars.

Kathleen is also the author of two awarding-winning mystery series: the Sydney Lockhart Mystery Series set in the 1950s and the Classic Triviography Mystery Series. Her first two Lockhart mysteries, Murder at the Arlington and Murder at the Luther, were selected as bonus-books for the Pulpwood Queen Book Group, the country's largest book group. Her latest Sydney Lockhart mystery, set in Austin, Texas, is Murder at the Driskill. A Two Horse Town, Kathleen’s second mystery in the new Kate Caraway animal-rights series, was released by Black Opal Books in December 2018. Murder at the Menger and Eagle Crossing will be out in 2021.

When she is not writing, she spends much of her time with her husband traveling the back roads and byways around the country, looking for new venues for her mysteries and bird watching along the Texas coast and beyond. Her passion for birds led to the publication The Man Who Saved the Whooping Crane: The Robert Porter Allen Story (University Press of Florida). 

Kathleen was the writer, editor marketing director for Cave Art Press. Her collection of blog posts was released in August 2017 under the title, Do You Have a Catharsis Handy? Five-Minute Writing Tips. Catharsis was the winner of the Chanticleer International Book Award in the non-fiction Instruction and Insights.

 

Social Media:

Website: https://kathleenkaska.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kathleenkaska

Twitter: https://twitter.com/KKaskaAuthor

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/kathleen-kaska

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/178776.Kathleen_Kaska

 

Book Review with Featured Author: The Desert Flowers - Lily by Judith Keim

The Desert Flowers-Lily by Judith Keim

 

 

 

Publisher & Release: Wild Quail Publishing, October 14, 2021

Setting:  California

Genre: Women’s Fiction

Length: 291 Pages

Heat Level: 1 Flame

Rating: 4 Gold Crowns

Book Description: 

Three talented women are brought together by a man they all love, becoming his Desert Flowers, who work together to save his hotel from being ruined by the company buying it…

When Lily Weaver is asked to help Alec Thurston, the one man she’s ever truly loved, and to come to Palm Desert, California, she doesn’t hesitate. He’s dying of cancer and needs her help in overseeing the sale of his hotel, The Desert Sage Inn, to another hotel group. For five wonderful years, she was his assistant at the hotel until he kindly told her their relationship was getting too serious, and he helped her find other work. With her organizational skills and attention to detail, she’s his perfect choice to oversee the details of the sale to help make a smooth transition while maintaining the reputation of the upscale property. Unappreciated in her job with a law firm in New York State, she’s eager to leave it and the cold weather to head for the desert. Her only regret is leaving her sister and three-year-old niece behind. Lily arrives at Alec’s house to find two other women summoned to help him. Rose Macklin was once the social director at Alec’s hotel, and Willow Sanchez is like a daughter to him. They join forces to help him, lovingly accepting his nickname for them—the Desert Flowers, similar to the well-known Charlie’s Angels. As Lily forms her friendship with the other women, she becomes intrigued with the man the hotel company has put in control of the transition. Brian Walden is a war veteran who has never married and is someone who Lily finds, to her delight, she can talk to about most anything when they meet up for early morning walks. Disaster strikes them both as they’re falling in love. Lily ends up having to raise her niece, and Brian is left with a son he never knew he had. It seems only natural that they turn to one another for help, and Lily wonders if this is as Alec might have planned all along. A series for those who love stories about strong women facing challenges and finding love and happiness along the way. Be sure to read the other upcoming books in the series: Lily, Willow, and Mistletoe and Holly Other series written by Judith Keim are receiving a lot of love: The Hartwell Women Series, The Beach House Hotel Series, The Fat Fridays series, the Salty Key Inn Series, the Chandler Hill Inn series, and the books in the Seashell Cottage Collection.

 

Buy Links:

 

Amazon: https://smile.amazon.com/Desert-Flowers-Lily-Sage-Book-ebook/dp/B08YB884SD

Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-desert-flowers-lily-judith-keim/1138982456

KOBO: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/the-desert-flowers-lily

Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Judith_Keim_The_Desert_Flowers_Lily?id=BAEiEAAAQBAJ

 

 

Add to Goodreads & BookBub:

 

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/57377659-the-desert-flowers---lily

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/books/the-desert-flowers-lily-the-desert-sage-inn-series-book-2-by-judith-keim

 

Vikki’s Musings

 

Thanks go to the publisher and Net-Galley for the complimentary digital copy of Desert Flowers – Lily by Judith Keim. I voluntarily agreed to read and review this novel. My opinions are my own, and nothing has influenced my rating.

 

Desert Flowers – Lily is another well written women’s fiction book by Ms. Keim. The pacing pulled me in from the first page to the last. The author’s descriptions of the setting also helped to keep me engaged.

 

Lily Weaver is the female protagonist, and she is a strong character, which she shows throughout the story. Her love for her misguided sister is unconditional, and her protectiveness for her adorable niece is touching. When she meets the hero, I enjoyed her willingness to let it play out.

 

Brian Walton is the hero, and he has many of the qualities I want in a male lead. When he learns he has a son, he accepts the responsibility, although he’d never wanted to become a father. He’s a man I could admire.

 

The romance between Lily and Brian goes smoothly, both accept the other as they are, not trying to change them. While there are very few conflicts for them to overcome, I enjoyed their love story.

 

The central theme of this novel is the strong bound between Lily and her sister. No matter that her sister keeps making bad decisions, she never truly deserts her, even though she does attempt to use tough love. I could feel her heartbreak when Monica makes the final decision to meet her abusive ex which ultimately leaves her three-year-old motherless. Lily shows her strength when she readily accepts custody for her niece.

 

The willingness of Lily and Brian to work together as a team as they form a family for his son and her niece is heartwarming. Other readers may find the lack of true conflict less than what they enjoy, I liked the low angst between them and felt it showed the chance of an abiding love that would stand the test of time no matter what fate or life had for them.

 

If you enjoy women’s fiction with a strong romantic element with engaging characters, then you will love Desert Flowers – Lily as much as I did. Ms. Keim always delivers a novel that is sure to grab me from the start. Happy reading!

 

Author Bio:

I’ve loved stories and reading from the time I played “Librarian” with my sister as a young girl. Living in a relatively small town in upstate New York, reading became a way to experience the world in a way I couldn’t otherwise do.

Many a hot, summer afternoon was spent reading, sprawled on the front-porch “glider”, escaping to a time and place far from there. My mother was an avid reader, some might suspect to keep her sanity while raising three active children – especially when my brother was doing experiments with his chemistry set! 

Books were always present – being read, ready to go back to the library or about to be discovered. Information from the books was shared in general conversation, giving all of us a wealth of knowledge. Perhaps that is why I was drawn to the idea of writing stories early on.

I particularly love and write novels about women who meet unexpected challenges with strength and find love along the way. A child or dog in the story is a plus. 

As J.S. Keim, I’ve written middle-grade fantasy stories for kids. I especially like to write about kids landing in unexpected places, meeting characters real and fantastic, and learning to see the world in a different way. 

A hybrid author who both has a publisher and self-publishes, Ms. Keim writes heart-warming stories. Her books are based, in part, on many of the places she’s lived or visited and on the interesting people she’s met, creating believable characters and realistic settings her many, loyal readers love. 

Presently, I lived in Boise, Idaho with my husband and our two dachshunds, Winston and Wally.

 

Social Media:

Website: https://judithkeim.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Judith-Keim-184013771644484/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/judithkeim

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/judith-keim

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/judithkeim/

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/judykeim/

 

 

Book Review with Featured Author: The Moon Over Kilmore Quay

The Moon Over Kilmore Quay 

by Carmel Harrington

 

 

Publisher & Release: Bookouture, June 1, 2021

Setting:  New York & Ireland

Genre: Women’s Fiction

Length: 375 Pages

Rating: 3.5 Gold Crowns

Book Description: 

They say home is where the heart is, yet somehow my heart is split in two. New York, the city I live in and love, and Ireland, the home of my ancestors—somewhere I have lived only in my dreams. And now I have no choice but to go looking…

Brooklyn, New York: Broken-hearted and home alone on New Year’s Eve, Bea O’Connor finds a letter she wrote to herself nearly twenty years before…

In the letter, she’d wished for many things. To never lose touch with her two best friends. For her father to be happier. To one day go back to the picturesque Irish village of Kilmore Quay, so she could find out more about her mother who’d died when Bea was tiny. Bea had also dreamed that she’d one day find love—even if her heart is too fragile since losing Dan to think about that right now.

Impulsively she starts writing new little wishes in the margins of the letter. But as the moon goes down over New York City and another year begins, a little magic seems to be in the air. And, as shocking family secrets come to light and Bea finds herself having to travel to Kilmore Quay at last, some of those wishes start to feel like they really could come true.

Even if fate has one last twist in store…

 

Buy Links:

 

Amazon: https://smile.amazon.com/Moon-Over-Kilmore-Quay-heartbreaking-ebook/dp/B0922R4YL2

Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-moon-over-kilmore-quay-carmel-harrington/1139477735

KOBO: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/the-moon-over-kilmore-quay-1

Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Carmel_Harrington_The_Moon_Over_Kilmore_Quay?id=AAIoEAAAQBAJ

 

Add to Goodreads & BookBub:

 

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/57877846-the-moon-over-kilmore-quay

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/books/the-moon-over-kilmore-quay-by-carmel-harrington-2021-04-08

 

Vikki’s Musings

 

Thanks go to the publisher and Net-Galley for the complimentary digital copy of The Moon Over Kilmore Quay by Carmel Harrington. I voluntarily agreed to read and review prior to publication. My opinions are my own and nothing has influenced my rating.

 

It took me a great deal of time to get into The Moon Over Kilmore Quay, and I came close to not finishing it several times, but once I made it halfway through, the pacing picked up and drew me into the story and the characters. I ended up enjoying the second half a lot.

 

Bea O’Conner is the primary character in this tale. In the first part of the book, I didn’t care for her very much, but I continued reading, and I’m glad I did. By the end of the book, I was completely vested in her character.

 

While this isn’t a romantic novel, it does have a heartbreaking love story. When Bea and Dan’s story is revealed toward the end, a few tears did blur my eyes for what could have been if Bea had been willing to trust in Dan’s feelings.

 

If you enjoy women’s fiction with intriguing characters and a complex plot, then you will love The Moon Over Kilmore Quay. Once the story progressed this became an enjoyable reading experience. The ending is bittersweet but most satisfying. Happy reading! 

 

 

Author Bio:

 

Carmel Harrington is from Co. Wexford, where she lives with her husband, her children and their rescue dog, George Bailey. An Irish Times bestseller and regular panellist on radio and TV, her warm and emotional storytelling has captured the hearts of readers worldwide.

Carmel's novels have been shortlisted for an Irish Book Award in 2016 & 2017 and her debut won Kindle Book of the Year and Romantic eBook of the Year in 2013. Her ninth novel, The Moon Over Kilmore Quay goes on sale in May 21'. Her recent books include My Pear-Shaped Life, A Thousand Roads Home, and the official ITV novel Cold Feet: The Lost Years.

 

Social Media:

Website: http://carmelharrington.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/happymrsh

Twitter: https://twitter.com/happymrsh

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/happymrsh/

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/happymrsh/_saved/

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/carmel-harrington

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6467538.Carmel_Harrington

 

Book Review with Featured Author: The Shell Collector by Nancy Naigle

The Shell Collector by Nancy Naigle

 

Publisher & Release: Waterbrook, May 11, 2021

Setting: Carolina Coast

Genre: Contemporary Women's Fiction

Length: 347 Pages

Rating: 5 Gold Crowns

Book Description: 

“A beautiful story full of love, loss, and second chances.”—#1 New York Times bestselling author Debbie Macomber

A touching novel of a friendship that crosses generations, and learning how even the smallest gifts can change a life for good, from USA Today bestselling author Nancy Naigle.

Two years after her husband’s death, Amanda Whittier has two children to raise alone, an abandoned dream of starting a business, and a fixer-upper cottage by the sea. She has no room in her life for anything else and little interest in moving on after losing the man she loved. 

Paul Grant is a relative newcomer to the area, and his work with former military dogs needing rehabilitation has been good for the town. Though he loved once before, he’s convinced he’s not suited for romance and is determined to find meaning—alone—through his work and role in the community. 

Widowed Maeve Lindsay was born and raised on Whelk’s Island. Spirited, kind, and a little mischievous, she pours her life into the town. But she carries a secret that shapes her every move. 

Together, these three souls find encouragement in the most mysterious places and discover a love that’s bigger than their pain, healing their wounded hearts in ways none of them could have hoped for or expected.

 

Buy Links:

 

Amazon: https://smile.amazon.com/Shell-Collector-Novel-Nancy-Naigle-ebook/dp/B08HLB7Y3N

Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-shell-collector-nancy-naigle/1137597639

KOBO: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/the-shell-collector-6

Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Nancy_Naigle_The_Shell_Collector?id=roP7DwAAQBAJ

Audible: https://www.audible.com/pd/The-Shell-Collector-Audiobook/0593400208?qid=1619984913&sr=1-2&ref=a_search_c3_lProduct_1_2&pf_rd_p=83218cca-c308-412f-bfcf-90198b687a2f&pf_rd_r=5X9MHK2NMAQ0NTVHKX5G

 

Add to Goodreads & BookBub:

 

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/56579723-the-shell-collector

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/books/the-shell-collector-by-nancy-naigle

 

Vikki’s Musings

 

Thanks go to the publisher and Net-Galley for the complimentary copy of The Shell Collector by Nancy Naigle. I voluntarily agreed to read and review this heartwarming novel prior to publication. My opinions are my own, and nothing has influenced my rating.

The Shell Collector is another heartfelt story with endearing characters and a plot that will touch your heart. The pacing pulled me in from the first page to the last. Ms. Naigle has set this novel in a small coastal beach town with a close community.

Amanda Whittier is the heroine, and I quickly became enmeshed with her character from the start. I loved her courage, her stamina and determination. When she befriends Maeve, my heart melted. Her love of her adorable children is admirable, and although her grief is deep from the losing her husband, she doesn’t allow it to pull her under.

 Paul Grant is the hero, and he has the characteristics I most admire. Not only is he ex-military, but he’s also a dog lover and has formed a company to rehabilitate ex-military animals. When he meets Amanda on the beach, it amazed him. The last time he’d seen her was at her husband, and his best friend’s, funeral, where she placed the blame on him for Jack’s death.

 Maeve Lindsay is the third major character in this tale, and she’s feisty, quirky and will steal your heart. Her love and unconditional acceptance of Amanda is amazing, and her deep relationships with the folks in their community are heartwarming.

 The romance between Amanda and Paul is not the central focus of this novel, but added to my enjoyment. While they have a good bit of angst to overcome from their past, they don’t antagonize each other. I enjoyed their romance and wanted them to find their happy ending.

 If you enjoy novels that deal with grief, friendship and unconditional love, and with characters that will grab your heart, then you will love The Shell Collector as much as I did. I always know I’m in for an emotional reading experience with one of Ms. Naigle’s novels. Happy reading!

 

Author Bio:

 

USA Today bestselling author Nancy Naigle whips up small-town love stories with a dash of suspense and a whole lot of heart. She began her contemporary romance series, Adams Grove, while juggling a successful career as an SVP for Bank of America and life on a seventy-six-acre goat farm. 

 

Now enjoying an early retirement from the financial industry, she devotes her time to writing, antiquing, cooking, trail riding on her Palomino, and the occasional spa day with friends. A native of Virginia Beach, she now calls North Carolina home. 

 

Best known for her small town stories set in Adams Grove, Sweet Tea and Secrets leads off this small town series. Stay tuned for news about the release of Porch Swings and Promises.

 

Nancy writes romance and women's fiction for Montlake Romance and St. Martin's Press and enjoys the diversity of adding mysteries to her list of accomplishments through Crossroads Publishing House. She's also working on several projects with Hallmark. Watch for Nancy's novels, Christmas Joy, Christmas in Evergreen and Christmas in Evergreen: Letters to Santa on Hallmark Channel, and Hope at Christmas, on Hallmark Movies & Mysteries. New in 2020, The Secret Ingredient made its Hallmark Channel debut, and stay tuned for news about the movie based on Sand Dollar Cove.

​

Sign up for Nancy's newsletter at the bottom of this page to be the first to hear about the new movie.

 

Social Media:

Website: https://www.nancynaigle.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NancyNaigleAuthor

Twitter: https://twitter.com/NancyNaigle

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nancynaigle/

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/nancynaigle/_created/

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/nancy-naigle

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4575284.Nancy_Naigle

 

Book Review with Featured Author: Secrets Mothers Keep by Anya Mora

Secrets Mothers Keep by Anya Mora

 

Publisher & Release: Independently published, May 6, 2021

Genre: Psychological Mystery

Length: 330 Pages

Rating: 5 Gold Crowns

Book Description: 

On Friday night in the clay fields of Bethel Creek, seventeen-year-old Daniel Reyes is found brutally attacked and left for dead. 
On Saturday morning, Cora Maxwell finds her teenage son’s clothes covered in blood.

A small town torn apart by a horrific hate crime. 

An investigative reporter hell bent on finding the truth. 

A mother’s worst nightmare.
What really happened to the Reyes boy?

In the heart-stopping and timely suspense novel, Secrets Mothers Keep, widow and mother Cora Maxwell faces the hardest decision of her life.
In a world where there are few second chances, do you grant one to your child?
And if so… what is the cost?


 

Buy Link:

 

Amazon: https://smile.amazon.com/Secrets-Mothers-Keep-domestic-heartbreaking-ebook/dp/B091JGXZBS

FREE on Kindle Unlimited

Add to Goodreads & BookBub:

 

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/57625016-secrets-mothers-keep

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/books/secrets-mothers-keep-a-domestic-suspense-with-a-heartbreaking-twist-by-anya-mora

 

Vikki’s Musings

 

Thanks go to the author and Net-Galley for the complimentary Electronic copy of Secrets Mothers Keep by Anya Mora. I voluntarily agreed to read and review this intriguing novel prior to publication. My opinions are my own and nothing has influenced my rating.

 

Secrets Mothers Keep is a well written novel with several moments that had my heart racing as I grabbed my Kindle tight waiting to read what would happen next. The pacing kept me enthralled from the first page to the last. 

 

Cora Mitchell is the main character and the single mother of a teen aged boy she realizes is keeping secrets. Her son seemed to accept his father’s death without any lingering effects, but when a boy in their community is found near death, she finds reasons to question her previous assumptions.

 

The mystery is well developed and kept me involved as the story unfolded. It had me asking a great many questions over who could be behind the attack on Daniel. The young man is a LGBTQ activist, so the community sees this heinous attack as a hate crime. 

 

As more is revealed, it became clear Ezra must be involved in some way. While I believe a parent needs to respect their children’s need for privacy, when faced with something that could endanger one’s child, sometimes a parent must snoop. In Ezra’s case, I believe Cora had justification. 

 

What she soon discovers, her son has been on the dark web and learns he is missing his church community. Since her husband’s death, Cora stopped attending services and is questioning why God allowed her husband to fall to his death.

 

This novel deals with immense grief and destruction of Cora’s belief system. It also addresses broken friendships. I found the complexity of Cora’s mind fascinating, so that too kept me reading, and I found this a difficult book to put down!

 

If you enjoy novels that with more substance and one with complex characters, then you will enjoy Secrets Mothers Keep as much as I did. This is the first book I’ve read by Ms. Moya, but it will not be the last. Happy reading!

 

 

Author Bio:

 

Anya Mora lives in the PNW with her family. Her novels, while leaning toward the dark, ultimately reflect light, courage, and her innate belief that love rewards the brave.

 

Social Media:

Website: https://anyamora.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/anya.mora.author/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/anya_mora_/

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/search?authors=Anya+Mora&search=Anya+Mora

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/19855074.Anya_Mora

 

Book Review with Featured Author: Blog Tour for Changing the Rules by Catherine Bybee

Changing the Rules by Catherine Bybee

 

Publisher & Release: Montlake Romance, March 23, 2021

Setting:  California

Genre: Contemporary Womens Fiction

Length: 335 Pages

Heat Level: 1 Flame

Rating: 4 Gold Crowns

Book Description: 

From New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Catherine Bybee comes the steamy first novel in her new adrenaline-fueled Richter series.

As an employee of MacBain Security and Solutions, Claire Kelly can certainly hold her own. Armed with an impressive set of covert skills, she’s more than prepared to tackle any job that comes her way…except one involving Cooper Lockman.

Cooper and Claire used to work together before his feelings for her sent him packing to Europe for six long years. But now he’s back and determined to ignore the still-smoldering heat that lingers between them.

Their current mission: go undercover together at a California high school to root out the mastermind behind a prostitution ring targeting young girls. The closer they get to the truth and the closer they get to each other, however, the deadlier their task becomes. As Claire and Cooper risk their lives to bring down their target, will their hearts be the final casualties?

 

Buy Links:

 

Amazon: https://smile.amazon.com/Changing-Rules-Richter-Book-1-ebook/dp/B08C76NQVM

Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/changing-the-rules-catherine-bybee/1137320286

 

Add to Goodreads & BookBub:

 

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/54457628-changing-the-rules

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/books/changing-the-rules-richter-book-1-by-catherine-bybee

 

 

Excerpt:

 

Claire collapsed onto the living room sofa the second she walked in the door. Not only had she suffered a headache the entire day, Cooper ran her like a trainer working an Iron Man competitor. 

“That sounds like a bad day,” Jax said as she walked around the corner of the kitchen. 

“You don’t want to know.” 

Claire flung an arm over her eyes to block out the sun. 

She heard Jax walk in the room and then exhale as she sat down. “You’re right. I don’t give a crap what happened in school, unless it involved Cooper. What I want is the details of last night after I got out of the car.” 

Before Cooper picked them up, Claire and Jax had agreed that Jax would give them a few minutes to have a private conversation. Now Claire regretted that plan. 

“The long story, or the short story?” Claire asked. 

“Whatever one you want to deliver.” 

Claire’s arms slid off her head, and she pushed herself into a sitting position. 

“Cooper has a thing for me.” 

Jax sat silent, blinked a few times. “Okay, and?” 

“What do you mean, ‘okay, and?’” 

“Sorry, Claire, but that’s obvious. I think you’d have to be an idiot to not see it. Even the guys on the team see it.” 

“What? Are they talking about—” 

Jax stopped her with a shake of the head. “Of course not. But you can tell by how they look at the two of you that they know there’s an attraction.” 

Claire pointed to her chest. “I’m not doing anything, it’s him.” 

“Maybe it’s more him.” 

She kept shaking her head. “No, it’s all him. I’m not instigating anything.” 

“You flirt with him all the time.” 

“I do not,” Claire huffed. 

One look from Jax and she rescinded her statement. “Okay, we banter. But it’s always been like that. I have the pool stick, he makes some kind of phallic joke. It’s banter. Not flirting.” 

Jax sat back, crossed her arms over her chest. Claire couldn’t believe her best friend was calling her out. “We’re friends. And last night he ruined that by telling me he’s had a thing for me since we met. Told me he left sunny California for dreary London because I was too young and naive to handle him when I first got here.” 

Jax narrowed her eyes. “Is that really how he said that?” 

Claire’s headache was coming back. “No. He said I was a child.” 

“A child?” 

Claire stood up from the couch, started for the kitchen. “He kept repeating that I was eighteen back then.” 

Jax followed behind. “Which is true.” 

Claire yanked open the fridge, pulled out a beer. “Whose side are you on?” 

“Yours. Always. But I just don’t see where all the fire is about this. Cooper owns up to the flirting comments and puppy-dog looks he gives you, and you’re pissed because he walked away six years ago.”

Like picking a lock, the pieces slid into place and finally started to click. “But he’s my friend.” 

“Trying to say you’ve never thought of him as more?” 

“No.” Her denial was quick. 

Jax started to smile. “You’ve never checked out his ass? The guy can fill out a pair of jeans.” 

Some of the anger she’d harbored all day eased. “That’s true.” 

“And that smile. When he’s belly laughing he has the tiniest dimples.” 

Claire closed her eyes, pictured his smile. She hadn’t noticed the dimples, but now that she thought about it . . . She opened her eyes to find Jax staring at her. 

“Sounds like you have a thing for him,” Claire said. 

“Wouldn’t matter if I did, and I don’t, by the way, but it wouldn’t matter. The guy can’t stop looking at you.” 

“God, what am I going to do with him?” 

“I don’t think you have to do anything. It’s not like he asked you out and you said no and now it’s awkward.” 

“You’re right. It’s worse than that.” 

“You’re overthinking it.” Jax pushed off the counter. “You know what, let’s gussy up a little and hit a proper happy hour. We’ll talk in German and pretend we don’t speak English and shamelessly flirt.” 

Claire abandoned her beer. “Now that is exactly what I need to do and get my mind off of boys.” 

***

 

 

Vikki’s Musings

 

Thanks go to the publisher and Net-Galley for providing me an electronic copy of Changing the Rules by Catherine Bybee. I voluntarily agree to read and review Catherine Bybee’s newest novel, Book 1 in the Richter series. My opinions are my own and are not influenced by the complimentary copy.

 

Changing the Rules is a great start on Ms. Bybee’s newest series. The pacing pulled me in early on and picked up speed in the second half of the book. By the end, the pacing moved like a freight train on steroids. The climax is amazing!

 

Claire Kelly is the heroine. She goes undercover at an expensive private high school in California. At first, I wasn’t sure if I would enjoy this book, but as I stated, it grabbed me at the half way point and kept me reading my Kindle as fast as possible. 

 

Cooper Lockman is the hero. He has known Claire for years, but he took an assignment in Europe when Claire was still a teenager because the attraction between them as way too strong considering the age difference at that time. 

 

When they end up at the private school, Claire as a student and Cooper as a track coach, the attraction threatens to burn them up, but now the age difference is no longer an issue. However, since he’s a teacher and she’s an undercover student, they can’t allow the attraction to consume them. Claire and Cooper are a fantastic couple, and I really wanted to see them together.

 

If you enjoy contemporary women’s fiction with plenty of suspense and a bit of angst, then you’ll love Changing the Rules as much as I did. This is the first book in MS. Bybee’s new series, and I can’t wait to read the next one. Happy reading!

 

Author Bio:

 

New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today bestselling author Catherine Bybee has written thirty-four books that have collectively sold more than seven million copies and have been translated into more than eighteen languages. Raised in Washington State, Bybee moved to Southern California in the hope of becoming a movie star. After growing bored with waiting tables, she returned to school and became a registered nurse, spending most of her career in urban emergency rooms. She now writes full-time and has penned the Not Quite series, the Weekday Brides series, the Most Likely To series, and the First Wives series.

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